Subject 371
by TheDaedalusGun
Summary: After a brutal defeat, Naruto awakens to find himself in a strange research facility... three years after his battle. With new prosthetic enhancements and a killer look, Naruto makes his way to Konoha. It's a long road home. Character design based on Fullmetal Alchemist, and cover art of story. Rated Soft M for language and possible adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

_All rights to Naruto go to it's respective owners._

* * *

 _click! Hummmmm..._

The old terminal's screen lit up, casting a very faint red light onto the dust-covered chair in front of it. Across the moniter, rapid sequences of numbers and file names began to run, along with commands for the system. The machine clunked and sputtered, attempting to execute it's primary function without lighting itself on fire or falling apart.

All across the room, the consoles and dashboards began to glow, life re-entering their dusty carcasses, the warmth of power flushing into their electronic veins. The single flourescent light in the room flashed once and popped, cascading sparks onto the concrete floor.

In front of the panels, a large glass tank filled with liquid began to hum. The object in the tank stayed immobile. Lights on the structure dimly awoke from their long sleep. One, more bright than others, was at the top of the tank. It read 'S. 371'.

The computer's screen went blank for nearly a minute, until one final command echoed across all systems.

 _Execute Activation Sequence._

The tank shot steam and coolent from the vents, as the hydraulic door controls attempted to wrench the front off the device. It was no use. Too much corrosion had been done. The tank's occupant opened it's eyes, frantically trying to understand it's situation. It began to panic, moving its arms around the container, pushing at the glass, until finally after a well thrown strike, the front panel shattered.

The subject slid out of the shattered container with a wave of greenish water-like fluid, landing on it's knees, supporting it's frome with both hands on the ground. The liquid disappeared into the metal grates that surrounded the tank. The occupant, still struggling for breath, still confused, grew weary from the steady thump of his adrenaline fueled heart. He gasped in air, leaned forward, and vomited.

as the bile washed away, down the drain, his mind subconsciously struggled to put the situation and pieces together.

Last he remembers, he was... _Fighting. I was fighting. Fighting who?_

A face flashed into his mind, but he couldn't quite grasp the name... His slender eyes, his pale skin, so... reptilian...

 _Orochimaru..._

He recalled his name. In fact, he recalled his own. Naruto.

As Naruto struggled to understand his situation, his instincts kicked in. He knew the fight was over. He'd lost. That much was evident when Orochimaru had-

Naruto stopped, looking down at the metal, finely crafted hand and forearm where his left arm had been.

 _He tore my arm out of the socket..._

He stared down at this new contraption attached to his shoulder. The small joints and moving parts, the glint it gave off in the low lighted room... His arm was gone. His arm...

He struggled to understand those four words, as his mind was flooded with questions. He looked up, noting the room he was in. He couldn't see it all, but knew he wasn't in Konoha. It was too dark, too... unsettling. It felt wrong to be here. He didn't feel safe. He looked back down.

 _Someone built a new arm and attached it... and put me here... My hair..._

He'd just realized that his hair, once extending slightly past his ears, was now long enough to lay on the ground from his position, hunched down on all fours. He guessed that, if standing up, it might reach down to his rear. Naruto exhaled, and breathed in slowly, trying to slow his heart rate. After a short moment, he tried to stand. It took a lot of effort, and the use of his right hand to lift himself, but he staggered over to the main console. As he looked down at the screen, It slowly faded out, leaving him in darkness. He sighed.

 _Shit._

His right hand wandered down the desk, yanking on the drawers. The top was open, and inside, after a little digging, he found a windproof lighter. Flicking it on with suprising ease, he looked down at his left arm. He found that he'd been moving in subconsciously, like his other.

 _That's odd... prosthetics take effort to use..._

He moved his metal hand, flexing the fingers and extending the arm. It didn't feel like a lifeless appendage or machine... it felt natural. The liquid dripping off the metal felt cold, and the lighter's flame felt warm, but when he held the flame under one of his fingers, there was no pain. He looked into the drawer and found a pencil, which he proceeded to smash down onto his left forearm. The wood and graphite splintered in all directions. Again, no pain.

 _That's new._

He placed the lighter into his left hand, and began to examine his surroundings. The room had incredibly powerful computer systems, seeing as how the only ones Naruto had ever seen were the ones in the Konoha Records and Information departments. The room was bare, and cold. The drawers were mostly empty, locked, or filled with useless office supplies. In a large metal file cabinet, however, Naruto found a sealed file with his name on it, and 'Subject 371'. Naruto tried to open it, but found he couldn't break the seal. In fact, he couldn't even mold chakra. There was no sign of the Fox either, and no way to enter his mindscape.

 _Whoever put me here probably placed a seal on me or the Fox's seal..._

The last thought made sense. If someone had brought him here, as some subject, they probably wouldn't want his occupant to cause problems. Where was he? Why was this place so... abandoned? So empty? He made his way to the large, wooden door. There was a snake-like symbol on the door.

 _Orochimaru. That makes more sense._

Naruto had to admit, if he'd been defeated by Orochimaru, the man would probably want to study him, if not experiment on him. Naruto's genetic structure was fascinating, to say the least.

Past the door and into the hall, Naruto found many locked doors and empty rooms. Most contained scrolls and files that he didn't have the time to read. In one room he found a hospital bed, and an adjoining bathroom. In the bathroom, after lighting a wall sconce, he found a mirror than stretched from the floor to the ceiling. He was shocked.

He estimated that he stood about 6'2'' and was probably one hundred and fifty pounds. He was very under nourished. His hair was a dirty blonde, golden blonde mix, and it reached down past his backside. His face was unshaven, and he was quite surprised at the amount of beard he had. It was almost as long all over as Asuma's goatee.

 _Well, it's good to know puberty hit me like a Sannin._

His metal arm extended up to his shoulder, covering a bit of it. Then he noticed the glint at the bottom of the mirror. His right foot was metal, too. He looked away from the mirror, down at his foot. He was a bit too tired to freak out even more.

 _I don't remember losing my foot... but I did burn my leg pretty bad..._

He lifted the long, slim black pants, the only clothing he wore, to show more than just a foot. The metal appendage met flesh at the knee, integrating into the joint. He hadn't noticed until now. Whoever had made these had made them to feel real. He lifted his foot to look at the bottom. There was some kind of hardened rubber zig zag tracks on the bottom, most likely for grip. That would explain why he hadn't heard the metal clank of his foot when he walked.

As he made his way through the maze of halls, he found the base was mostly empty. The only thing remaining were what appeared to be other... 'Subjects'... information and research, and simple equipment. If this place had been abandoned, it would have been looted by it's occupants, which explained the lack of valuable gear. If Orochimaru had been here, he'd have taken his research. So that meant his presence was absent to here, at least. As Naruto entered one of the last rooms, finding more scrolls, he'd found something interesting. It was a long footlocker buried under some scrap. He fidgeted with the lock, until he realized he could just smash it with his metal arm, which he did. Inside was a four foot long black rod. He picked it up, examining it. On the side it was laying on was a Kanji for a rather uncommon word.

Valentine.

He flipped it over, and as he did, the bottom fell out slightly, revealing a very sharp and very fine katana. Now Naruto was not a weapons expert, but he did know a bit, and he dealt with some famous weapons before. This sword was none he'd heard of, but was certainly interesting. The weapon's handle had no wrappings or grip, and was one foot in length, and the sheath, made from the same material as the handle, looked well worn, but in good shape. Almost as if it had been used as a club. The blade was... beautiful. It had to be the most pristine, well crafted, and sharp sword he'd ever seen. It curved ever so slightly as it neared the tip, like a nobleman's tanto or decorative traditional Katana. If the handle and sheath were any indication, this thing had seen combat. How it stayed so sharp and clean was a mystery. He sheathed the blade, opting to carry it with his new left arm rather than in his belt. If felt... good, in his hands. Almost natural. With his newfound blade, he moved further into the base.

After a short period of time, he found a sort of supply room, but it had chests marked with subject numbers. Most were empty, no doubt ransacked by the base's former occupants. His eyes scanned the room, hoping to find something useful. He found it. At the far left of the 20x20 room was a metal, rusted table. On the table was a box, marked with 371. Naruto approached the box and pried it open. Inside were his old things. His Hitai-ate was inside, the fabric torn. He picked it up, and ran a thumb over the metal, smiling slightly before pocketing the item. The rest of his gear was too small or damaged to keep. At the bottom of the pile was a brown bag. He pulled it out, and opened it. Inside was a simple, yet fine, brand new black jacket. The inside was lined with a dark orange, almost scarlet material. He put it on, as it was cold, and noted that it was a perfect fit. It had long sleeves, and a short collar that came up around three inches. The bottom of the jacket reached down to mid-calf. It almost felt tailor made.

 _If I've been in here for some time, I should've outgrown this arm, leg, and coat... this is very odd..._

He decided to get the hell out before he found an answer he didn't like. With a turn, he walked swiftly from the room, his coat silently swaying behind him. He could tell the Hokage abput this place later. Right now, he wanted answers. He wanted an explanation.

He wanted to go home.


	2. Chapter 2 - Gentleman's Handbook

**So, I've decided I'd like to make a deadline for myself and have a chapter AT MOST every ten days, Hopefully one by every Sunday. So here you go. Check out my other story, Who Are You Really? It's also a Naruto Fic.**

 **I don't own Naruto, and this saddens me.**

Naruto sat at a makeshift camp, his eyes in a trance, locked on to the small fire in front of him. The flames licked the logs, the embers popping and glowing, like rubies catching the sunlight. He stared into nothing, his mind desperately trying to grasp his situation.

He'd left the base two days ago, only to discover he was definitely far from home. He'd immediately headed for the small mountain to get a better view of his surroundings, and when he reached the top... things got worse than he'd thought.

He was on a tropical island.

Naruto knew that the type of hemisphere where islands like this were was somewhere to the south of the elemental nations, possibly even away from them. In the distance, over the glistening blue ocean, there was the outline of a massive landmass, but it had to be miles away. And Naruto, no matter how much stamina he had, could NOT swim miles.

The island was probably five square miles of land mass, spread out in the shape of a boot. It would almost be nice, if it wasn't completely isolated and uninhabited. There was some wildlife there. A few monkeys, crabs, some birds and small mammals.

Naruto had gone back into the base to scavenge on his second day. He now had a full set of clothes, starting with black Shinobi shoes, toes covered, with long black pants covering them. He had a black belt, with grey small packs on them for small items, like a utility belt. He wore a white, v-neck shirt, with some type of snug ballistic vest under his coat. On the sides of the vest were two holsters for small knives, which he'd found separately. They looked like hunting knives, serrated on the back, with a five inch blade and handle. The vest looked like a Chunin vest, but was charcoal, and a slimmer fit. In one of the front pockets, Naruto kept a small blank book he'd found, which he'd started to write notes in about his discoveries. He'd also found a small medical kit. After that, he began to catalog his discoveries.

First, he'd taken note of his appearance. He'd obviously grown, but still looked young in the face. He had showered, but couldn't find a razor to shave. Not like he knew how to shave, anyway. His arm and leg were perfectly sculpted to match the size of his remaining appendages, and were a dark gunmetal color. His eyes seemed darker, too, and his face more defined. He was skinny, from lack of excersize. He'd written in his log,

 _"If I'm thinned from the time lapsed in the container, however long that is, how are my arm and leg a perfect fit? How do they feel so real? It's almost as if they're made to match, or possibly change as I do. I'll need to find a way to open the folder, maybe it can tell me."_

Second, he noted his thoughts. Now, Naruto had never been stupid by his own fault, he'd just never been taught. Now, he found his mind jumping to conclusions and deductions he'd never rationally make. He thought-used words he didn't even know he knew. His senses and logical rationality were far superior than he knew they could be. And he acknowledged this. It didn't even feel weird. It felt... natural. As if his whole life, he'd been stunted and contained, and now he was seeing grass for the first time. It felt good.

Third, he found himself aware of things he didn't know he knew. He had fished and hunted earlier, and found himself recalling knowledge of traps he'd never made. He knew North was the side of trees moss grew on, and he had no clue he knew this. The further he went, the stranger it got. He knew how to draw seals he never learned, he remembered facts and information on basic Shinobi functions he'd never researched. He knew the names, skills, and milestones of every Kage in history, he knew the premise, major battles, and outcomes of every war in the history of the Hidden villages.

Whatever had been done to him, they'd altered his mind and body, giving him new limbs and information. It was as if someone had pumped Academy to Elite Jounin level information into his mind, and he remembered it perfectly. He knew the basic rules of the major shinobi villages, the latest bingo books, and a MASSIVE amount of jutsu knowledge. Knowledge on attacks and defenses from all elements, the level of skill required, the scales of attack. He even knew the required chakra output and summoning techniques for the Rashomon.

Naruto was a little frightened at that. Who the hell had the ability to do all this? To plant this level of knowledge into him? It was rather unnerving. He knew Orochimaru was a genius, but this was far more than he'd imagined the Sannin could do.

What was the purpose?

As Naruto stared absently into his campfire, he pondered these questions. He thought of himself, his changes, his past. What were his friends doing?

What if they think I'm dead...

It was a possibility. They could think that, for however long he'd been gone, he was dead. They might've moved on. He thought of Sasuke.

Had he been claimed and taken over by Orochimaru yet? Had he killed Itachi, and gone home? Had he died? Oddly enough, Naruto found that he didn't quite care. The more he thought about how the boy had betrayed him, the more he realized how angry at him he was. He tried to kill him. He abandoned Konoha, and became his brother, though far less dangerous. Naruto began to shake the thought of the cold former ally out of his mind. Maybe he needed to re-evaluate his friends.

This brought Sakura. She was very pretty, sure, and had moments of kindness, but for the most part, Naruto couldn't think any more of her than that. Sure, he once crushed on her, but she had used him several times. When he'd saved their lives on more than one occasion, when he chased after her love, and when he'd lain beaten and wounded in his hospital bed...

She never said thank you.

She never once tried to make a complete, one hundred percent effort to be his friend. She always had a motive, even if only slightly. Naruto didn't feel the same contempt for her as Sasuke, but the more he thought of her, she was just... there. Just a neutral comrade whose ever fluxing mixture of nice and mean kept her on middle ground. At most, she was like a sibling. Sure, deep down she probably card, but she could also be a real bitch.

He thought of the rest of his friends. They were all good people, for the most part. Team Asuma was pretty okay, even if Ino was a fangirl.

Team Kurenai was probably the better one. Kiba was a dick at times, but that was only for sport. Shino was... well, he was Shino. And Hinata was nice. Quiet, shy, and prone to nervousness, but kind.

Tsunade was... Naruto smiled at the thought of her. He teased the woman endlessly, and her quick wit retorted in an effective counter each time, though as much as they taunted each other, Naruto couldn't deny it.

She was the closest thing he'd ever had to a mother.

Sure, he called her granny, and she said she hated it, but his never changing brightness and taunts kept her happy, he knew. It was a refreshing break from the tedium of running a village.

As Naruto lay down, the fire dying, his back to the bedroll, he looked up to the stars, wondering if somewhere, the people he held dear were looking to them, too.

Looking to the heavens, looking for him.

Wondering where he was.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the dim lit office of the Hokage, the strongest of the Sannin sat behind the desk, her chair facing the windows. Her eyes wandered over the bustling city below her tower, as the city settled in for the dark night's embrace. The streetights flickered and clicked on, one by one as the village hidden in the leaves gave in to sleep. Her hand traveled up her chest, settling on the Crystal necklace of the First Hokage.

In the aftermath of the fight, it was all they found of him.

All that she had to remember the boy who became her friend.

The boy that made her care again.

The son she never knew she wanted.

Her eyes drifted upwards onto the starry night sky, Settling on the moon.

 _Naruto... I hope wherever you are, you're finally with your family..._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had been a week.

Naruto pushed the handmade, shoddy raft off the beach, into the shallow waters of the foaming sea.

He'd been out of stasis, as he began to call it, for a week, and had managed to build a makeshift raft. If he could reach the other side, he might be able to find a town, or hell, even a fisherman. Someone who could tell him where he was. He pushed hard into the sand, shoving the five by seven raft out to the water, the waves pushing him back, then sucking to wooden vessel out to sea. He fastened the green duffel bag he'd found in the base, which he'd placed everything but his pants into, which he wore, and grabbed the wooden slab he'd collected, using it to paddle. His arms and legs, weak from stasis, struggled to propel the vessel as the waves countered every move he made. His muscles burned, sweat and seawater dripping off him as he struggled to get the vessel out past the pull of the island. Finally, after twenty minutes of rowing, the waves pulled him free and sent him towards the land on the other side. He flopped down onto the craft, exhaling heavily as his arms rested. His metal arm felt no pain, but the shoulder it was attached to sure did. He spit out the water that splashed over his face, too tired to sit up as he grew closer and closer to his destination.

It took nearly seven hours, with several bouts of rowing to adjust his heading, but he finally reached the shore. As the vessel sliced onto the sand, he grabbed his pack and hopped down, cool water gliding over his toes. He trudged forward onto dry sand, eyeing the treeline. There was no one here, but from the island, he could've sworn he saw lights at night.

 _Oh, well. It's a start._

With a final sigh of acceptance, he walked into the trees, cutting his way through the thick jungle with the Valentine.

It took another few hours, but Naruto finally came upon a small farm. He sheathed the Valentine, still holding it in his left hand, his right tucked into his pocket, the duffel bag secured over his right shoulder, hanging vertically.

The farmer offered food, and shelter, but Naruto declined asking only for directions.

He learned that, not only was he far from home, he wasn't even directly on the Elemental Nations anymore. He was on a seperate, small continent, several hundred miles to the south.

 _On the scale of shit, this ranks pretty high._

It took him ANOTHER hour to reach the town, and, upon arrival, he remembered he had no money. Walking down the main street, he came across a group of men harassing a young woman. Seeing as everyone tried to ignore them, Naruto came to several conclusions. They were either a gang, the town bullies, or associated with someone nobody wanted to mess with. Naruto, now wearing his full clothing, had caught the glances of a few people, but nothing more than that. He walked up behind them, catching their conversation.

"I asked you a question, bitch. I expect an answer." The woman stared at the man, notably frightened.

"I don't associate with thugs," she spoke, almost whispered.

"You cunt!" The man raised his fist, as if to swing down, as the woman shut her eyes, prepared for the strike.

It never came.

She opened her eyes, looking up. A tall young man in a long black coat had caught his fist with his right arm, and was now standing in front of the man.

"You need some lessons." The teen's right boot was suddenly in the air, the man falling backwards, two teeth flying through the air. The boy brought down his leg, pulling out his sword, stabbing it into the dirt, wielding the sheath like a club.

"Lesson number one: whether she's a queen or a homeless woman living in the worst slum imaginable, a gentlemen treats every girl like a lady." The man got up, only to be smacked in the side of his left knee, knocking him down.

"Lesson number two: A gentlemen never displays force or physical aggresion towards a lady." Naruto brought down the club with both hands, smacking the man on the top of his head.

"And lesson number three..." Naruto reached down, gripping the man's shirt collar with his left arm, lifting him off his feet, locking eyes with his.

"No man, gentleman or not, ever, EVER, calls a woman what you just said."

And with that, Naruto spun and literally threw the man ten feet, smashing him into several tin garbage cans. Everyone, from the girl, to the bullies, to the townspeople that had occupied the street, to the ones who'd left the buildings to watch, stared at Naruto. He walked over, picked up the Valentine, and sheathed it, and looked at the other two men.

"This is the part where you run away."

And run they did. They didn't even pick up the man Naruto had beaten. They just cheesed it out of there faster than they knew their legs could run. Naruto walked over to the woman on the ground, held out a hand to help her, and said, "Are you alright, ma'am?"

The town erupted in cheers.

The girl just stared for a few seconds, the heaviest blush she'd ever had spreading over her fice like a mask. "Um... um... y-yes." She took his hand and he helped her up. She was a pretty girl of about seventeen, with long chestnut hair, combed straight and hanging over her left shoulder, tucked behind her right ear. Her face was smooth and round, though her chin created a small point. Her eyes were a dark brown, sharply contrasting the sapphire eyes of her savior. She wore a long sleeve light pink shirt, and a long, mint skirt.

"I apologize for their behaviour. We're not all like that." He smiled at her, his features shining brightly through his beard. For such a scruffy man, he was extraordinarily handsome.

"Thank you for helping me, mister-" She inquired.

"Ah, I'm sorry. My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

"I'm, um, Fan Matsuo. I run the local Inn with my sister."

Naruto's mind lit a bulb at this. _Looks like I saved the right person._

"So, um, what are you here for, Mr. Uzumaki?" Naruto chuckled. "Did I say something wrong?" She asked, her hands clasped together, pressed to her stomach.

"No, miss, I've just never been called Mister before. It's odd. Call me Naruto, or Uzumaki if you insist on being formal. And I'm just passing through on my way home." She blushed yet again at his smile.

"I, um... I have to head back to the Inn. Would you care to come with me?" She inquired, her hands covered by sleeves, held at her chin. _She's cute_ , thought Naruto.

"Certainly."

The two walked together further into town, where the people glanced at them, some thanking Naruto for his act, and patting him on the back.

"So... where did you learn to fight like that?" Fan asked, looking over towards him.

"The Hidden Leaf Village," He replied. Her eyes widened at this. _He's a Shinobi? And Leaf... so far away._

"I'm a Shinobi of Konoha, but I've been away for some time for... reasons. I need to get back home." Before she could answer, a woman who looked remarkably similair to her ran from the Inn, and enveloped the girl in a bear hug.

"Fan, are you okay? I heard some thugs attacked you, and a bearded swordsman kicked their ass? Is this true? Are you okay? And who have you been associating with?" The girl, probably the sister, grasped Fan by the shoulders shaking her wildly and assaulting her with questions. Naruto just stared at the scene. _Timid one and hyper active one. Yup. They're definitely sisters._

The older girl stopped suddenly, turning her head to the right, seeing said bearded swordsman. Much like her sister, she blushed.

"Um... Hello."

"Evening, ma'am." He smiled.

"So, you're the man who saved my sister?" She asked, regaining her composure. She looked like fan, but her face was sharper, her clothes less baggy. Her hair was the same color, but was cut a few inches shorter than shoulder length, tucked behin her right ear, like Fan. She wore a blue sundress, which accentuated her... features, very well. Other than that, she looked just like Fan.

"I suppose I am. You must be the elder sister?" He asked, extending his hand for a light handshake. She took it briefly.

"Thank you for helping her. Those assholes don't know when to quit. Though I fear you might have caused trouble in attacking them."

Naruto sighed. "I guessed as much. The way people acted, there had to be a reason no one was stopping them. They in a gang, or associated with the village rich guy?" Naruto asked.

"The latter. He's a brutal businessman who runs the town. He's caused this place alot of hell. In fact, here he comes now." The girl pointed up the road at a... Gato-esque man, being followed by the three he'd encountered earlier, and one very tall man. A very tall, scarred man.

Naruto sighed once more. "Ma'am, I'll make you a deal. I have no funds, but need a place to sleep. I'll deal with this guy for good if you'll let me have a room for the night." He looked towards her. "Actually, I'll deal with him anyway, but I would appreciate the room." The sisters looked baffled. _This guy, deal with Humoto? This would be something._

"Okay." She said, smiling.

He turned, walking towards the group. "Can I help you?" The short man scoffed.

"You seemed to have injured my employee. I could call upon the authorities for this."

Naruto didn't even budge. "Then do so." _I've stood toe to toe with the Kyubi No Kitsune, dude, your bitch ass ain't got shit on him._

"I think I'd rather keep your record clean. How about we settle this like men?" The little suited slime asked, flashing a grin. Naruto smirked.

"We could, but we both know you're gonna send the giant over here to do your dirty work for you, so go ahead. Let's get this over with, I've had a long day." His uncaring and frank attitude was pissing the man off, he could tell. With a flick, the man signaled the giant to move. He began to walk towards Naruto, who began to casually remove his coat. The man's speed increased, as Naruto slipped his right arm out of the coat. He was within ten feet as the coat came off. Naruto dropped low, and swung his metallic fist, planting it into the stomach of the giant so hard, he literally stopped his momentum, throwing him back five feet, where he crashed down onto the dirt.

Naruto stood up as every onlooker stared, not just at the unconscious form of the giant, but at Naruto's newly revealed metal arm. He leaned down, picked up his coat, and began to walk towards the shocked little man.

"Now, I may be a gentleman, and a good guy, but I'm also a Shinobi. At best... we're anti-heroes. We solve problems in blood. I could swipe that greasy little head of yours off with as much effort as it takes to open a door, but since I'm feeling extra merciful, I'll let you leave here in one piece. But I will warn you..." Naruto, now standing in front of the man, leaned down to his ear.

"If you ever come back, I will rip your spine out through your ass and shove it down your throat." He whispered, leaning back out, meeting the man's widened eyes and smiling.

Humoto took one look at the smile Naruto held, make a rather odd noise, and pissed himself. And then he ran. His thugs followed, except for the unconscious one. Naruto walked back to the girls, smiled and said, "Now, how about that room?"

The night grew on, as the sisters invited Naruto to dinner. They talked for hours, questioning him about the arm and his past. He told them about waking up after all this time, and his shinobi life, though he left out some big parts, like the Fox and Orochimaru. He had to say, they were sweet girls, and it had been longer than he could remember since Naruto had felt such warmth from others like this. It was like Wave, but without his team, just Tazuna's family and him, eating dinner. It made him quite happy.

Naruto now stood in his room's bathroom, his wet hair in a ponytail, his beard covered in shaving cream. _Okay, let's see how this goes._

After some time, he realized he should've first trimmed it with scissors, and now his face was a little cut up, but, clean-shaven, he had to admit... he looked good. His body was stronger than he'd thought, and his arm seemed to be alot stronger than his remaining original arm. The punch proved that. That night, the townspeople had told him to stay until at least tomorrow night, as they had a surprise for him. As he lay in bed that night, looking out at the moon, a smile invaded his face.

 _I could get used to this._

 **Well, there it is. Lemme know what you think in a Private Message or review. Adios!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Taking Out The Trash

**I'm going to preface this by saying Naruto in this is not a player, but he is charming, and the ladies do love him. Also, he's not really dark, he's just a one chance only kind of guy. He also doesn't take crap anymore. I'm making this Naruto sort of an anti-heroic badass, opposite of my other story.**

 **Thou doth not possess the rights to Naruto.**

Naruto awoke to sunlight stabbing him in the face, as he grumbled and sat up. His hair was a disheveled mess, and his breath reeked of the morning, but after wakng up on an island for seven days, he had to admit, this was MUCH better. He cracked a smile as he remembered the previous day.

Kicking ass, praise from villagers, and dinner with two very lovely ladies... Naruto had to admit, maybe being out of Konoha was doing some good.

He'd also learned from the sisters that he'd been under for three years. Other than that, there was no news of home.

He got out of his unbelievably comfortable bed, trudged over to the bathroom, and hopped into the shower. Afterwards, he brushed his teeth, combed his mane of hair, which was very difficult, and wrapped a towel around his waist. The girls had told him that they would have his clothes clean as morning, which he declined, but after they said he reeked of sweat and seawater, he decided it might be in everyone's best interest if they cleaned his outfit. As he walked from the bathroom, there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I have your clothes, Naruto-k-er, san." Naruto could almost hear the blush from the other side of the door. He suppressed a small chuckle. "Just leave them at the foot of the door. I'm kind of only wearing a towel at the moment." A sharp intake of breath was heard from the other side of the door. "Um... Okay, I'll, uh, I'll leave them here." _That's Fan, I'd guess. Timid girl._

"Thank you, Fan."

"Okay." She scurried off, and as Naruto heard the footsteps disappear, he cracked the door and took his gear. He got dressed, leaving his vest and gear in his bag, along with the razors and toothbrush the girls gave him. He made his bed, sat the bag on it, and left the room, right hand in pocket. He carried his coat in the crook of his right arm, the Valentine in his left hand. Walking into the lobby of the traditional style hotel, he laid eyes upon the girls chatting behind the counter. He walked up and grinned.

"Hey, girls." They stared at him.

"Your beard is gone..." said Fan.

"Yeah, I thought I'd look better like this." Naruto stated.

Rin, the elder sister, eyed him over, being clean and shaven. His long, golden hair drawn back into a tight ponytail on the center of the back of his head. He was a little slim, but, for being asleep for three years, she had to say, he could be worse. _Damn, he is HOT..._

"So, Uzumaki," said Rin, "Do you have any plans today?" Naruto knew that look. _This woman is scheming, I just know it..._

"Not particularly. I'm going to stay until at least tonight, I don't want to be rude and chuck off the village's invite. I thought I'd sightsee." _I wonder if there's a good ramen place nearby..._

"Well, I have to stay and run things here, but I'm sure Fan would LOVE to show you around," said Rin, nudging her little sister with her elbow. The girl's eyes widened at this. Naruto noticed, and decided to play along. "You know, I would love that." At hearing this, Fan's eyes grew even more, if it was possible.

"Um... I could, um... Show you things." She said, raising her hand to cover her mouth. The green hoodie she wore, sleeves over hands, drove the 'shy girl' persona home. _Definitely a cute one,_ thought Naruto. _I better watch out, I'll become like The Pervy Sage..._

With that, the duo left the hotel, as she took him on a tour of the village. It wasn't small, but not big either. With a population of about nine hundred within city limits, it was rather quaint. They had the usual shops, and stands on main street. The people were friendly, asking about him. They were especially interested in his arm. Oddly enough, Naruto was fine with it.

The way he saw it, shit happens. Why dwell? It was this very motto that had let the boy escape the problems Konoha had caused him as a child. It was why he didn't become like Gaara or Sasuke. His motto, not to be confused with his nindo, was a way of dealing with aftermath. The nindo addressed the problem as it unfolded.

The two now sat on a bench overlooking the sea, eating ice cream cones. As Naruto sat there, looking out over the ocean, he couldn't help feeling like something was missing. Like something was taken from the picture, and he couldn't quite get what it was.

"What's wrong?" Fan asked next to him, her expression showing worry.

"I don't know. I think I'm missing home. I've never been away, really. Guess I don't know what it means to be homesick." He turned towards her. She had a small bit of chocolate at the corner of her mouth. Naruto reached over to remove it, wiping it away.

"Wh-what was that for?" She asked, flustered.

"You had some ice cream on your cheek." He stated innocently. He may have been 15, but he hadn't quite adjusted to his new intellect.

Fan stared at him for several seconds, jumped over to him, glomped him, and planted her lips onto his.

Now, Naruto had faced demons, Sannin, and all types of unsavory beings. His life had practically instilled permanent fearlessness into him. Nothing surprised Naruto Uzumaki.

Except for Fan's mouth.

He'd never kissed a girl before, and, little did he know, she hadn't kissed a boy.

It was awkwards, as first kisses are. Teeth click together, lips struggle to find their places, and the tongue usually justs sits there in confusion, like a couple's third-wheel friend.

After a moment, they pulled away slightly, his upper lip still nuzzling her bottom lip, as they both caught their breath.

Naruto, never being on the receiving end of those events that mark your development, was taken back. He'd never had a birthday. Nevery been given a gift, ever. He'd never even had a true friend, really. No one that made an effort to care. So, in this one moment, Naruto decided he'd rather be selfish, for once in his life, and enjoy himself.

 _Screw it._

Reaching up, he placed his left hand on her cheek for a brief moment,then slid it behind her ear, wrapping his right hand around her waist, pulling her in for the second effort.

This time, they had a better rhythm, better flow. They knew what they wanted. She moved over to him as he pulled her closer, her chest against his, as their lips danced against each other. Her hand slid against his chest, her other reaching up and grasping the left side of his neck. After fourty seconds, they broke. His eyes met hers as their breath bounced off each other, his lungs trying to supply his system with oxygen. He was the first to speak.

"That was... wow," he said, still out of breath. She smiled, her timid side gone, her eyes satisfied for now.

"I'm glad." Fan smiled.

"Fan... I have to leave for-" She placed a finger on his lips.

"I know. But I just... I really wanted to do that. Just accept it as payment for saving you." She smiled, letting her thin, delicate finger slide down past his lips, onto the skin exposed from the v of his shirt.

"I didn't do it for payment... but I'm glad I got it." He smiled as she slid off him, the pair standing up, and walking back to the village. They made small conversation, stopped to admire the sights. It was a strangely happy moment in Naruto's chaotic world.

Arriving at the town, Naruto instantly knew something was wrong. The streets were completely empty, the buildings all closed. An unnerving stench of foreboding hung in the air. Naruto placed out his arm, stopping Fan in her tracks. She turned towards him, worried. He didn't look back.

He simply stared down the street, focusing on nothing. He slowly shut his eyes, tilted his head down slightly.

The warm sea air filtered through his nose, the dust mixing into his breath. Shutters clicked and papers fluttered on street corners, as he attempted to tune the noises of the world out of himself. Things grew quiet as his mind broke down the environment around him.

Ten O'clock, one hundred feet ahead. A streetbooth creaked under the weight under a counter. Something shifted inside. _Someone hiding..._

Eleven O'clock... two... no, three hundred feet. Someone was... crying? Inside a building... _Townspeople, maybe..._

Closing in fast, from a thirty degree angle, twelve o'clock. Naruto grabbed Fan and leapt left, dodging an incoming arrow that embedded itself into the dirt behind them. He picked her up bridal style and spun around, crashing through the doors of a nearby building, back first. He looked up, Fan clutched to his chest, observing his surroundings. He was in a bar. The lights were dimmed, and... there were people staring at him. Fan looked up at them, blushed in embarassment, and leapt off Naruto, who rolled over and stood up.

"What's going on?" He asked, addressing the patrons. The bartender, a grizzly looking man chomping a cigar, spoke first.

"Humoto came back. He's looking for you." Naruto remained motionless for a moment. Sighing, he ran a gloved hand through his long, flowing hair.

So much for a moment's peace. It seemed everywhere he went, the worst of the human race seemed to follow close at heel. His life was just moving on, from one thug to another. He looked at the patrons of the bar, some frightened, some accusing, some just sick and tired of the pressure. He looked at Fan, who was nearly hyperventilating from almost getting shot.

 _This isn't right. These people should never have to deal with this. And neither should I._

Naruto locked eyes with the bartender, adopting a far more serious tone than they'd heard from him before.

"Keep this place locked up tight. Do not leave until I tell you to." He turned to leave, pausing in the door as the man replied, "What are you planning on doing, boy?"

Naruto turned his head slightly.

"I'm gonna take out the trash."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Takato Matsuri stood next to his employer, Humoto, at the end of the street, simply waiting. The small greasy man seemed quite confident in his belief the boy wouldn't run, but Takato also knew the man could be rather stupid. But money spoke higher volumes than the man could, so who cared?

He rested the bow in his hands on the ground, looking over to the man. "Sir, are you sure he won't run? He's only a child after all."

Humoto never looked at Takato; he just stared down the street through his sunglasses.

"He'll fight. The boy had pride in his eyes, that's for sure. He'll fight." Takato looked the man over, then stared back down the road. For several moments, they simply waited. Takato wasn't convinced, but, sure enough, a figure stood in the street.

It was a boy, or young man, Takato couldn't tell. He wore black pant with black shoes, a white shirt, and a long black coat. His extremely long hair was in a ponytail, which whipped about in the wind. He held something, but Takato couldn't tell what it was. Beside him, Humoto chuckled. "I told you. Give the signal."

Takato raised his bow, drew back an arrow with a metal ball on the end, and fired. The projectile soared through the air, flying into the small tower over the town hall, striking the bell inside. A loud _dong_ echoed across the buildings as, one by one, scruffy looking bandits stepped out from makeshift hiding spots. They looked crudely armed, but intimidating to one without chakra. Naruto guessed there were about twelve of them.

Without a word, Naruto slid the sheath off of the Valentine, gripping it tightly in his right hand.

"So...," he said aloud, "This is how he wants to play."

The thugs began to move towards Naruto, every one of then donning a smirk or snarl. He moved forward as well.

Takato drew an arrow, aiming the bow.

The thugs lifted their weapons.

And all hell broke loose.

The first thug swung at Naruto, who dodged, slicing him open at the stomach with his blade. Blocking another incoming strike with his arm, Naruto stabbed into the attacker, kicking away a third attacker. An arrow zoomed through the struggle, grazing Naruto's right side under the arm, shattering onto the dirt behind them. Naruto pulled his blade from the attacker and spun to face the man he'd kicked, blocking a swipe from the man with his sword. Naruto blocked several, trying to find an opening. Suddenly, another arrow shot at him, so he jumped backwards. The man moved forward to strike, only to be hit in the chest by the arrow. As he fell, Naruto tried to keep track of the events.

 _Three down._

Takato cringed through his teeth. It was difficult to hit his target like this. He'd even hit one of Humoto's own. Said man was unfazed by this.

Naruto grabbed a serrated dagger from the ground, and charged the next batch. He swung first, chopping the sword into a man's head, as another swung at him from the left. He blocked with the arm, pushed the blade away, and slung the dagger across the man's face, and tried to leap away from another attack, but found his sword was stuck. The attacker swung down his zanbatou, which Naruto narrowly avoided by moving forward, knocking himself and the man onto the ground. Unable to pry his sword free, Naruto stood, dagger in hand, taking a stance in front of his rather massive opponent. The man looked down at the boy and chuckled.

"Everyone stay back. I want this one to myself." He grinned, showing a rather serious lack of teeth. Naruto gripped his dagger, blade pointing down, his hand held close to himself, his left arm further out, ready to block.

 _I hope the arm can take it..._

The man lifted the sword and swung down, and Naruto lifted his arm to block, as the blade crashed into his appendage. The steel blade actually chipped as it hit tha arm, it's materials still unknown. Naruto was almost shoved to the ground by the sheer force of the impact, but regained himself, taking advantage of the man's shock as he swung the dagger, embedding it into the large thug's left leg. He shouted in pain, swinging his arm, striking Naruto and knocking him onto his back. The man pulled out the knife as Naruto rolled over to the corpse, desperately trying to pry the Valentine free. He placed a foot on the dead man's chest, yanking at the sword. The big man closed in just as Naruto popped out the sword, lifting in and placing a hand on the flat part of the blade to reinforce his defense. The zanbatou met the sword, and this time, it shattered. His eyes widened as Naruto looked at him, cracking a smile. The young Shinobi spun the sword around his head with his free arm, and in one fell swoop, he decapitated the man.

The rest of the thugs could only stare in shock. Takato himself just stood there, dumbfounded. Sure, the kid was tall, and probably a scrapper, but this was bullshit... Humoto attempted to keep his composure, but the beads of sweat lining his forehead betrayed his stoic expression.

Naruto began to walk forward towards the rest o the thugs, but by now they'd wisened up. Every single one turned and ran from him. Naruto actually laughed aloud at that. Turning his focus to the archer, he once more began to walk towards him.

Takato drew an arrow...

Naruto began to half walk, half jog...

As Takato fired...

Naruto ducked left, the arrow missing him...

As Takato drew and fired once more...

Naruto beginning to jog as he slapped the arrow away with the Valentine...

As Takato fired once more...

Naruto dodged again, now sprinting...

Humoto began to move backwards...

Takato dropping his bow, drawing a wakizashi...

As Naruto closed in...

Takato tok a stance, raizing his blade...

Naruto opting to strike from the left, holding him blade near his left ribs, sword in right hand...

Takato swung, and Naruto did too.

The sound of metal was never heard. Naruto slid to a stop behind Takato, ten feet away, in a kneeling position. He held his blade outwards to the right. Neither moved for some seconds, as a thin line of blood streamed down Naruto's cheek from a shallow cut.

Takato coughed once, blood sputtering from his lips, as he fell to the ground.

Naruto lifted his head towards the now terror striccken Humoto, hair blocking the boy's eyes. A gust of wind blew them away, and Humoto came to a stark realization.

The boy's eyes held something, but it wasn't pride.

It was fury.

Naruto stood, walked towards the man. Humoto tried to back away, but tripped, falling to the dirt. Naruto slowly walked towards him, his face impassive. It was terrifying.

"I gave you a chance. I gave you one opportunity to leave, but like the snake you are, you came crawling back. You could have left and lived your life, been free, but instead you just couldn't leave it alone, could you?" Naruto walked over the man, who sat on the ground, cowering. The boy's blue steel eyes bore into him, penetrating his soul.

"P-please! I'll do anything! Anything!" Naruto looked down, his expression unchanging.

"Anything?"

The man found a glimmer of hope in the question, now pleading, "Yes, anything!"

Naruto looked him dead in the eyes, and raised his right arm, sword pointing downward...

"Tell the devil I said hello."

...And plunged the blade into the cowering tyrant.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The bar patrons all sat quiet. The sounds of battle had ceased moments ago, the cries of the wounded silenced one by one. The tense feeling that clung to the air was almost suffocating them. Suddenly, the door creaked open. Everyone snapped towards the noise.

Naruto, dirty and slightly battered, stood in the doorway. His eyes locked on to the bartender.

"I need your help. You're not squeamish, right?"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After the man and teen had cleared the streets of the bodies, which were loaded onto a cart, and the blood was partially rinsed away, Naruto had begun to walk down the street, duffel bag over his shoulder. The bartender had turned towards him, and was about to speak, as he heard a girl speak behing him.

"Wait! Where are you going? You... You're just going to leave?"

Naruto stopped, turning to Fan. He didn't want to say goodbye. He was never good at that.

"I feel like I might have overstayed my welcome. Besides, I have to go anyway." Rin walked up behind her. She seemed troubled, but understood. She tossed the teenager a small bag, which clanked in his hands. He shuffled it around. It was money.

"Consider that a token for saving our skins, and a little help for getting home."

Naruto looked at the bag. He wanted to refuse, but practicality told him he'd need this money to get back to Konoha. He looked up. "Thank you both. You're very kind people. That's not something I get that often."

Fan looked at him as he turned and walked forward, casually trotting off.

"You didn't let us say thank you for this second time..."

He turned slightly, smiling warmly at the young girl.

"You'll never have to."

And with that, Naruto Uzumaki turned his face to the orange sky, and sauntered off into the sunset.

 **Well, there you go. Give me any feedback you have, review or message, and maybe check out my other story, Who Are You, Really?**

 **Bye.**


	4. Chapter 4 - Author Update

So here's the deal.

I lost interest. I know, shit excuse, but I did, and I apologize. But I'm going to fix that. Now heres what I aim to do:

I took on a whole big bunch of ideas I had floating in my head, and I screwed it up. Like a speeding train taking a curve too hard. A curve that was on fire.

I began "Naruto: Master of Deception", "Who Are You Really?", and "Subject 371". And I lost interest. I lost interest because I think I had too many ideas and didn't take the time to write them out. I didn't approach it like a book; instead, I just started typing furiously. So what I plan to do is take all three stories, combine their ideas and aspects...

And center them around Boruto.

HEAR. ME. OUT.

I like Naruto fanfics, but sometimes I feel its too difficult to take such an established character and branch off, while staying true to what the story is about. Bolt? WAAAAAY more open. I can work here. He can be far smarter, better, I can add so much, yet not have so many plot holes. Yeah, he can have issues, but with the original, there's so much that it seems like if you don't add in the entire original story, the right progression of things won't happen. Certain characters won't be who they are at the end. And I think Bolt can be much more interesting, because I feel like the world he lives in has more tech, and as a result, you get imprints of other stories and atmospheres in Naruto. Think the city in Blade Runner, with ninja and espionage. So that's kind of what I aim to do. Combine them.

Because if I don't, nothing is going to happen. Nothing will get made.

I don't have a time frame, nor do I offer a regular update schedule. But I promise you I'll make it. And it will be big.

Very big.

Thanks for reading this far.

UPDATE

So I thought I'd explain the premise of this next story, because someone in a review suggested it. If you like any of the three stories above, listen up.

What I aim to do is combine the ideas I had from all three and put them into one story, centered around Bolt. Now I know Bolt's an unlikable tit most of the time, but honestly, I hate early Naruto more. I do. It's like they made this unbelievably beautiful world, with this incredible backstory, added so much lore and mythos, and then was like, "Hey, who's our main character? I dunno, how about some dude who farts on people?" Yeah, I know he got better, but he was so unlikable to me in the beginning.

Which is the great thing about Fanfiction, is that you can change that. Which is why if you don't like Bolt you don't have to worry. He's not going to be an arrogant asshole. He's going to be smart. And he will be somewhat sarcastic and confident, but not in an annoying way. More of an anti-hero than what Naruto is. Does the right thing, but still kills enemies. He is a shinobi after all.

Now I aim to take most from 'Subject 371' because I went and read it again, and I forgot how much I enjoyed writing it, and how much I enjoyed putting that kind of description in there. I'll take aspects of 'Who Are You Really?' into it as well, probably tell the story after the fact like I did in it. Going back through it, I didn't have as much fun writing it, but I liked what I was trying to do there more than 371, if that makes any sense. It felt less descriptive, but more... promising. More capacity for good, dark moments. I aim to combine these elements into one story. A little humor, a little sadness, a little slice of life. Since 'Who Are You Really?' was a direct re-do of 'Master of Deception', I don't aim to pull a lot from that, but what I was going to do later in that story will be in this one, as will the others. I'd planned a lot and didn't get around to it.

Also, don't panic, it'll be dark but I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Expect implied dark elements like 'offscreen' genocides of small villages by the bad guys, but don't expect, like, rapes or anything. That stuff is a subject I'd rather have nothing to do with. Though there might be a few 'character about to get attacked or assaulted' gets saved right beforehand situations, there won't be anything on screen that happens.

So send me a PM if you have questions, since I find it easier to reply there, and I hope you'll enjoy the new story!

Maybe someday I'll go back and re-do '371' or 'WAYR'. Someday. But for now, I'm doing something else.


End file.
